Balanced automatic air-lift.



Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

N. R. SMITH. BALANGED AUTOMATIC AIR LIFT.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1913.

WITNESS ES:

UNITED sTATEs `PATENTOFFICE. i

Y NORMAN RlSMITH, OF RED BLUFF, CALIFORNIA.

IBALNCED rAUTOIVIA'IIC AIR-LIFT.

`. Specificationiof Letters'latent. i Sept. 29, 1914:.

Application med september 17, 1913. .f `serial No. 790,339.

T0 all whom t may concern: Y z p Be it known that I, NORMAN R. SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Red Bluff, in the countyofTehama and .State of California, have invented new vand, useful;

Improvements in Balanced Automatic Air- Lifts, of which the following isa specifi` cation. l y, i This invention relates to a balanced airliftpump. y

It is the object of this inventionto provide a pump by means of which alarge vol-` ume of liquid can be raised with the eX- penditure of a'comparatively small amount l on the lower ends of the pump cylinders.and means for reciprocating the pistons in" relation to the pumpcylinders by which alternate charges of liquid and air will be forcedinto the pump cylinders.`

The invention further consists of the parts i and the construction andcombination `of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed,having reference to the accom-'5 panying drawings, in which- Figure 1 "sa front elevation of the-invention, with parts broken away. Fig. 2

is a side elevation, with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail verticalsection of thevlower portion of a pump cylinder, showing theI piston andvalve construction. .Fig.4`is a detail perspective view of the valveinthe piston.

support for the pump which extends vover the upper end of the casings Aand Bf Mounted on the frame 2 is a `rock-shaft '3, carrying awalking-beam 4. *"Pivotally mounted at 5 to the walking-beam 4, 'at

equal distances on opposite sides of the rock-shaft 3, are tubular pumpcasingsl 6 and 6 which extend downward into the liq.- uid contained inthe casings AandB; and

jextend upward asuitable distance above thev walking-beam 4, and areformed with a horizontalopemended portion f7 lleading to any suitablepointI of discharge. The pump` casings `6 and 6 are off corresponding`weights and dimensions so as to be normally balanced on-thewalking-beam4- Mounted on thelower end of each pump cylinder and 6 is afoot-valvewhich essentially consists of a ball 8 slightly smaller thanthe inside diameter ofthe pump cylinders and normally seated on-.a valveseat 9, to` close an inlet opening 410. `Surrounding "the lower end ofeach pump cylinder ,6` and 6 is-a cylindrical hollow piston 11 which isadapt` ed to have slidable movement exterior to the pump cylinders 6 and6". Piston rodsv 12 connect with the pistons 11 and extending upward aresecured to sleeves 13, slidable on the pump cylinders. The sleeves 13.are

connected to the outer ends of the walking beam 4, by means of links 14,in such manl ner that when the lever is rocked the pistons 11 will bereciprocated on the lower ends of the pump cylinders in oppositedirections.

The lower endof each piston 11 Ais provided with a cone-valve15 whichextends horizontallythrough a casing formed in the piston 11". VFormedin thevalve `15 is a portlG which is designed to register with ports 17between the interior and the exteriorof the piston l1-1 at its lowerend. The valve `15 is adapted to` be turned to close the ports 17', andis operated by means of a rocker-arm .in the` valvecasing to opencommunication i.

18, pivoted at its center onthe sleeve13and connected at its ends bycables '19, or their equivalents,` to 'the ends of a cross-baryQO,rigidly mounted on the valve 15. The 'oper- 'ation of the rocker-arm13nis effected by lmeansxof stop-pins 21 and 22 extending into the pathoftravel ofthe rocker-arm 18, vand arranged to engage the latter to1rock it at the upper, andlowermost positions of the l i Y. sleeve 13.#rlhe valvef15 is also formed with In the drawings A and B represent aipair 0 of Well casings, and 2 indicates ai timber a port 23 "which isadapted toopen communication between the interior o'f'the cylin.

der `11 'and the atmosphere `through a pipe the form of a channel ordepression in the faceof the valve 15, which'is positioned to registerwith a port 25 opening to the interior of the piston 11 andV with theopen l terminal of thepipe 24.

vin opposite directions so thatY when oney pump-cylinder is in itsiujperm-ost position the pump-cylinders are thus positioned, the pis-ton11 onthe lfofwermost pump-cylinder will". bein its lowerm'ost positionand the lvalve.lgthereon willbe disposed with the port16.registeringwith the ports 17, so that i the4 liquid .in the welliwil-l 'How into the space e positioned.' l

between thevalve `Sand `the lower end ofthe piston-.11, andthenee iin-tothe pum-p cylinder, through the 'iiootevalvd .as will-be laterdescribed. `The piston 11 onthe uppermost pump-cylinder will-be in itsuppermost position andthe valye'l Vwill be -disposed with the. port-23jregisteringlwith the port 25 and the. open lowerl end 0.1": 'the pipe241; the ports 17 being closed when the Vvalve 15 is thus 'llhe cycle.of operation ofv one of 'the pump-cylinders will'nowfbefas follows: On

valve-8;v through the pipe `the liquid inlet ports 17.

the downward movement of the uppermostiv ypiiiirnp.-'cylinder7 theVpiston 11 thereonwill be caused'fto move downward away from' thellower. end ofthe. pump-cylinder, thereby drawingair into the! spacebelow the ooti e 2li, and ports 23 and 25,4y When the 'pump-cylindernears its lowermost-'p'osi'tion the rocker-*arm 18 will be engaged fbythe pin. 22v and thereby be rocked in such .manner as to rook the valveV15 to close'the -alir inlet ports 25 and open y l The pressure of" 'thevcolumn of liquid in 'the well 'casing wililj nowoperate to forcethe airtrapped in the piston 1.1 upward., through the foot-valve S,-

Vintothezlmver end of the pump-cylinder; the 1 being. llifted by the 'npressure therebe-` neath.. The air will pass around the ball of the*lfoot-valvein a state 05E compression and will. :form anA air pistoninthe pump-cylinder Q abovefth'e .foot-valve, which.` air ipiston willbemoved upward the pump-cylinder by; the inllow of liquid which willlenter the 1 pump-cylinder. untill the .determined quantity is withinthepump-cylinder, whereupon i the iniiow `is cut oil at the terminati-on ofthe upward stroke. The upward movement of- -the air piston will `liftthe column of liquid;

tfhereabove, and when the pumpbylinder is full, will cause la. quantityof liquid equal in v'olumeto that last taken in to be dischargedVfro'inthe. open upper end'of the pump-cylinder. k

When the desired amount 'ofjliquid hasl f beenv forced-.into the upward'moving puinp- 'eylinderthrough the open port 17, the upyclosing of theport 15 iseiiected. The

ward stroke is terminated by means of the hand-lever 26 and itsconnections and the The pressure from the liquid in the well is shutoli' from vthe pump, thus causingthe weight of .the liquid in theuppermost pump-cylinder to close the ball valve and prevent back flowinto the piston 11 on the down stroke of the latter. The pump-cylinderon now being` the other pump-cylinder will be in its lowerl mostposition, as shown in F ig. 1. When moved to its upper-most position,the piston 11 will be restored to its uppermost position; the vialve 15being operated b y the rocherarm L'18 stri-king the pin 21 so as toclose the port 17' and openthe port 25 to the atmosphere when the piston11 is in its uppermost posi-tion. r'Ifhis completes the cycle ofoperation ofl one of the pump-cylinders; the other pump-cylinderoperating in a like manner.

It will be seen that when the pump is in operation the pump-cylinderswill be filled with `alternate layers 'of liquid and air, as shown inA31; thefpump-cylinders being of isuch diameter and the volume of airde- -liveredthereto of such: quantity that the air pistons form-ed inthe pump-cylinders will i not be bro-lien by the 'capillary attractionof the liquidr in the .pum-fpcylinders By thus forming alternate layersor strata of liquid and air in the pump-cylinders the weight ofthe:column: oi liquid in the well will. operate to elevate the upperlayers of the liquid in the pump-cylinder to a point above the surfaceof the liquid in 'the well, when. the pump-cylinder is in its lowermostposition, `and to a point where equalization of pressure willf beestablished.

By terminating the upper" end of the piunpecylinder at a point below theheight at which the liquid can be raised in the pumpecylinder by theexternal. pressure of the liquid in! the well'7 a. quantity of theliquidr in the munir-cylinder will be. discharged when the ports 17 areopen, which .is whenv the cylinder is in its lowermost position andduring its upward movement; the discharge from thel pump-cylinderceaswhen the ports 17 are closed or when the pump-cylinder is raised toa point at which the column of liquir and air in the 'pump-cylinder willexert a pressure equal to--or greater than the pressure of the liquid inthe well.

The discharge opening of the pump-casing is preferably arranged at apoint just below the Amaximum liit of the liquid columndin the. wellwhen the pump-cylinder is in its uppermost position so that there will:ybe a discharge from the pumpbylinder on thefmajor portion of itsupstroke, thusiieeing the pump -cylinder ol the weight of the column oiliquid therein during its upward movement; the column of liquid inthecylinder being then supported bythe pressure of the liquid in the well.lB'y' this :arrangement the weight oil the eolumn of liquid confined inthe downwardly moving pump-cylinder will assist in moving the otherpump-cylinder upward on the iirst half of the stroke. i

It is important that the foot-valve 8 be formed of a loose ball, as theglobular formation facilitates the flow of the alternate charges ofliquid and air and insures the formation of the liquid and air inalternate layers.

rlhe quantity of air delivered to the pump-cylinder is regulated byadjusting the length of stroke of the piston 1l which is accomplished byconnecting the links 14 at various points on the walking-beam" e in'relation to the pivot 3. For this purpose a series of perforation ll areformed in the beam l which are adapted to receive the pivot pin at theupper ends of the links.

The ports 17 are designed to remain open throughout the upward movementof the pump cylinder; the amount of liquid passing therethrough andentering the pump cylinder being controlled by the speed at which thewalking-beam is rocked.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat` ent, is i l. A pump-cylinder comprising a pairofreciprocating pump -cylinders, means for moving said pump-cylinderssimultaneously in opposite directions, and means for deliveringalternate charges of liquid and air to the pump-cylinders on thereciprocation thereof. i

2. In a pump, a pair of reciprocating pump-cylinders, means for movingsaid pump-cylinders in unison in opposite directions, pistons on thelower ends of said pump-cylinders, means for reciprocating the pistonsin advance of the pump-cylinders, and means controlled by thereciprocation of the pump-cylinders and pistons by which alternatecharges of liquid and air will be delivered to the pump-cylinders.

3. In a pump, a pair of reciprocating pump-cylinders, means for movingsaid pump cylinders in unison in opposite directions, pistons on thelower ends of said pump-cylinders, means for reciprocating the pistonsin advance of the pump-cylinders, means controlled by the reciprocationof the pump-cylinders and pistons by which. alternate charges of liquid`and air will be delivered to the pump-cylinders, and means by 'which theweight of the liquid in the well will operate to force the liquid in thepump-casings to discharge.

fl. In a pump, a walking-beam, a pair of balanced pump-cylinders on saidwalkingbeam, a piston on the end of each of the pump-cylinders,connections between the walking-beam and the pistons for reciproeatingthe latter, means controlled by the piston for trapping air in thepump-cylinders, andv a valve in the piston for admitting liquid to thepump-cylinders.

5. In a pump, a reciprocating pump-cylinder, a foot-,valve thereon, anexternal pisi ton, means by which said piston will trap air below thefoot-valve to form an air' piston, and valved means for admitting liquidto the pump-cylinder by which the eX- ternal pressure of the liquid inwhich the v valve, stops for actuating the rocker-arm on the up and downstrokes of the pump cylinder to operate the rock-valve and admitalternate charges of liquid and air to the pump-cylinder.

7.'In a pump, a walking-beam, a pump cylinder on said walking-beamarranged approximately midway between the outer end ofthe beam and itspivotal mounting, a sleeve slidable on said pump cylinder, a linkconnecting the sleeve to the walkingbeam, a. piston on the exterior ofthe pump casing at its lower end connected to the sleeve, a rock-valvein said piston, a rockerarm `on the sleeve connected-to the rockvalve,stops for actuating the rocker-arm on the up and down strokes of thepump cylinder to` operate the rock-valve and admit alternate charges ofliquid `and air to the pump-cylinder, and means for regulating thevolume of liquid and air admitted to the pump-cylinder. l

8. In a pump, a walking-beam, a pair of balanced pump-cylinders on saidwalkingbeam, a piston on the end of each of the pump-cylinders,connections between the walking-beam and the pistonsfor reciproeatingthe latter, means controlled by the piston for trapping air in thepump-cylinders, a valve in the piston for admitting liquid to thepump-cylinders, and means for adjusting the lengthof the piston stroke.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. i i,

HAZEL BREARCLIFFE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by .addressingthe Commissioner of Pat nts,

Washington, D. C. i

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